Pats insider Jeff Howe passes along word that the team “remains highly optimistic” about WR Danny Amendola (groin).  Howe also notes that New England is “highly pessimistic” about the status of TE Rob Gronkowski.  This has been the general theme all week.  Gronk is poised for a Week 6 return.  Meanwhile, Amendola is trending towards being active, though his workload is very much in question.  Fortunately, we’ll know before lineups lock if he plays because of a 1PM start time (at Cincinnati).  Consider Amendola a WR3 if he suits up. 

Patriots WR Danny Amendola (groin) remained limited in practice this week and is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Bengals.  He made progress this week, though, and there’s optimism that he’ll play.  “Had a good day today,” Amendola said Friday. “Had a good practice, ran around, made some plays and looking forward to Sunday, so we’ll see.”  A final decision won’t be made until pregame warmups, but we’ll find out by noon ET.  Amendola will be worth getting into fantasy lineups if he’s active.

Patriots WR Danny Amendola (groin) remained limited in Wednesday's practice.  But it was upbeat about his progress afterward.  "So far, so good this week. I feel good," he said. "I felt good today. I’ll know more tomorrow and we’ll go from there ... Every day is getting better. [I'm] working hard and just trying to get back out there as quickly as possible.”  Amendola added that pain isn't as much an issue as "getting strength where you need it."   It sounds like he's in the final stages of his recovery.  "Signs continue to point to his return for Sunday's game against the Bengals in Cincinnati," insider Mike Reiss writes.  We probably won't know Amendola's official status until inactives come on Sunday, but it's a 1 pm ET start so fantasy owners will have time to adjust lineups.

Patriots insider Mike Reiss hears WR Danny Amendola (groin) has a "good chance" to return for Sunday's game against the Bengals.  Amendola reportedly made good progress last week.  We'll see how he looks in workouts over the next few days.  He'll be worth getting into fantasy lineups if he's active for this weekend's game.

NFL Network's Albert Breer reports that Patriots WR Danny Amendola (groin) is "hopeful" to return for Week 5.  Breer adds that Amendola "never had a real shot" to play against the Falcons tonight.  That makes us less optimistic about his chances of returning next week.  Week 6 might be a more realistic target.  New England could get Amendola and TE Rob Gronkowski back for that week's game against the Saints.

Patriots WR Danny Amendola and TE Rob Gronkowski will not play in Sunday’s game against the Falcons.  Neither player made the trip to Atlanta.  Instead, they will target a Week 5 return against Cincinnati.  The Pats don’t have their bye until Week 10.

Ben Volin of the Boston Globe reports that a source said of Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski and WR Danny Amendola, "as of today, they are playing."  Of course, the source also covered itself by adding that there's "a lot of time between now and Sunday night."  We'll believe the pair are available when they're announced as active.  Unfortunately, the timing of the Sunday night kickoff means you can't afford to wait for either unless you have a replacement option playing that night or Monday.

Patriots WR Danny Amendola (groin) is listed as questionable on the Week 4 injury report.  That's an upgrade over his doubtful listing the past couple weeks.  Still, all signs point to Amendola sitting out Sunday night's game against the Falcons.  And with the late start time, he needs to be on fantasy benches.

Patriots insider Karen Guregian hears that WR Danny Amendola (groin) is "not likely" to play against the Falcons on Sunday night.  Guregian adds that he hasn't "completely" been ruled out but has a "better shot" to return Week 5.  Amendola remains worth hanging on to in fantasy leagues.  Meanwhile, Julian Edelman will likely get at least 1 more game as New England's slot receiver.

Patriots insider Mike Reiss says WR Danny Amendola (groin) was "moving better" at the start of Wednesday's practice than he was last week.  He has a shot to return for this weekend's game against the Falcons, although we'd put his odds at worse than 50-50.  We'll continue to track Amendola's progress over the next few days.

As crazy as it sounds, the fact that Patriots WR Danny Amendola's groin muscle was torn from the bone is actually good news.  It accelerated the healing process.  In fact, Sports Illustrated's Don Banks hears that Amendola might be back for this Sunday night's game against the Falcons.  We'll keep an eye on how he looks in practice this week.  With both Amendola and TE Rob Gronkowski nearing returns, now would be a good time to throw a low-ball offer at the Tom Brady owner in your league.

Patriots WR Danny Amendola (groin) is inactive for today’s game against the Bucs.  He’s at least another couple weeks away from a return.  Julian Edelman will once again serve as New England’s slot receiver.  He’s a good bet for double-digit targets. 

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that Patriots WR Danny Amendola's groin tear is "off the bone."  Ouch.  The good news is that Amendola can't make the injury any worse, which explains why he's been hobbling around the practice field this week.  Amendola won't play against the Bucs on Sunday and will probably be sidelined another few weeks beyond that.  We'll see how effective Amendola is when he does get back on the field.

Patriots WR Danny Amendola (groin) is doubtful for Sunday's game against the Bucs.  He hobbled around the practice field all week and won't play this weekend.  He's likely another week or 2 away from a return.  Julian Edelman will once again serve as New England's slot receiver.  He's a viable fantasy starter across formats with increased upside in PPR.

Patriots WR Danny Amendola (groin) was officially limited in Wednesday's practice.  He reportedly worked through only some of the individual drills and is clearly nowhere near 100%.  He's not going to play against the Bucs on Sunday.  A Week 4 return is the best-case scenario.  Julian Edelman will once again function as New England's top WR this weekend.

Patriots insider Karen Guregian reports that WR Danny Amendola will not undergo surgery to repair a sports hernia.  His timetable for return is now in a "framework of a few weeks," Guregian adds.  That's obviously good news, although the abductor injury still has the potential to linger.  Hopefully New England will hold Amendola out until he's truly back to 100%.  He's well worth hanging on to in all fantasy formats.  Julian Edelman will continue to be a WR3 with WR2 upside in PPR as long as Amendola is sidelined.

Patriots WR Danny Amendola (groin) was on the practice field Monday.  He was working "gingerly," according to insider Field Yates.  The fact that Amendola is out there at all is a major surprise.  The latest reports have him dealing with an abductor injury and possibly a sports hernia that could require surgery.  Amendola is believed to be week-to-week, but perhaps the Patriots are hoping he can play through the injury.  This remains a fluid situation.  Fantasy owners need to hang on tight to Amendola for now.

Fox Sports' Jay Glazer reports that has Patriots WR Danny Amendola has an abductor injury.  That's the muscle that connects the hip to the leg.  Glazer adds that Amendola also "might" have a sports hernia.  Doctors are still deciding whether or not he needs surgery, which would reportedly knock him out for 3-4 weeks.  This remains a fluid situation, but fantasy owners need to be preparing to be without Amendola beyond this week.  Julian Edelman will continue to be a viable fantasy starter as long as Amendola is out.

Patriots WR Danny Amendola (groin) is officially inactive for tonight's game against Jets.  We still don't know much about the severity of his injury. Some reports have him likely to be back for Week 3.  Others have him sidelined another 2-6 weeks.  Don't expect to get any information from the team.  Fantasy owners need to just stash Amendola on the bench for now.  Meanwhile, Julian Edelman will serve New England's slot receiver tonight and is a strong WR3 in fantasy.